Breaded chicken is a great alternative to fried chicken – and slightly healthier too. In fact, any kind of breaded meat is tasty. Just try a recipe for schnitzel – especially this herbed chicken schnitzel – as an example of how delicious breaded meat can be.
Breading chicken is a pretty simple process that requires using a binding agent to make sure the breadcrumbs stay attached to the chicken when you’re preparing and cooking it. All you’ll need is some flour, a few eggs, and some breadcrumbs. The type of breadcrumb you choose will determine the crispiness and the flavor of your breaded chicken once it’s cooked, and there are a two main options you can choose from:
- Regular ‘Ole Breadcrumbs: These are your run-of-the-mill breadcrumbs – nothing fancy, just toasted bread broken into tiny pieces. Basic breadcrumbs usually don’t come seasoned, so you might want to add in some spices before you use these to bread your chicken.
- Italian Breadcrumbs: Italian breadcrumbs are your basic run-of-the-mill breadcrumbs with Italian seasonings add into the mix. They already have flavor, so you don’t need to season these or add in any other spices.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: Panko breadcrumbs have gotten really popular in Western dishes over the last few years, due largely to the increased appetite for Japanese food. Panko is used often in Japanese cooking and it’s becoming way more prevalent on U.S. and European grocery shelves. It’s made of white bread and is made in a slightly different way from traditional breadcrumbs, which makes it come out lighter and fluffier than other breadcrumbs. It also doesn’t soak up as much oil when frying it, so it’s generally used as a healthier alternative.
How to Bread Chicken
Once you’ve chosen the type of breadcrumb you want to use for your chicken, it’s time to start breading it. Start by grabbing two large plates and a small deep baking dish (a small casserole dish will work perfectly). In one plate, pour a quarter of a cup of flour, spreading it out around the plate. In the casserole dish, crack two eggs and use a fork to whisk them together until the yolks are mixed in. Last, but not least, spread your breadcrumbs around the second plate. Now that you have your breading system set up, you’re ready to get started.
Lay the chicken breasts on some paper towels to dry off any excess water. Take a chicken breast and coat it in the flour. This acts as a base for adding the egg. Next, dip the chicken into the eggs – make sure to get it covered on both sides. Hold the chicken breast over the egg mixture and let any excess drip off. Finally, lay the chicken breast in the breadcrumbs and coat evenly on both sides. Repeat this process for each chicken breast you have.
You can pan fry, deep fry, or bake breaded chicken. Any of those ways will give you a delicious and hearty meal that everyone in the family will love. Do you have any favorite breaded chicken recipes? Share them with us in the comments!
